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On February 17, 2025, Munhwa Ilbo reported that the South Korean entertainment industry has been facing intense scrutiny due to significant pay disparities between male and female A-list actors.
Munhwa Ilbo reported that broadcasters and production firms have been working hard to reorganize their business structures since 2024.
Top-tier A-list actors, whose foreign sales are practically guaranteed, charge appearance fees of 300 million won (about $2,07,958) to 500 million won (about $3,46,610) every episode.
Broadcasters and production firms have decided to cap actors' fees at 100 million won (roughly $69,311) per episode for male actors and less than 30 million won (roughly $20,794) for female actors.
They have also decided to cap the per-episode production budgets to 800 million ($5,54,570).
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The number of drama productions has significantly decreased in recent times, and there is a rising belief that casting new performers and cutting production expenses is preferable. Due to this, actors a tier below are suffering and complaining that there are no jobs available for them.
For instance, actor Kim Soo-hyun reportedly received around 500 million KRW (approximately $3,46,610) per episode for his role in It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2020). In contrast, it has been challenging to find A-list actresses earning more than 100 million KRW (about $69,318) per episode.
Statista's data from 2023 revealed a substantial gender pay gap across various occupations in South Korea. Male managers earned an average of approximately 10.6 million South Korean won ($7,348.46) per month, while their female counterparts received about 8.8 million won ($6,100.33).
Recent reports ignited widespread discussions among netizens on the Korean online forum, TheQoo, shedding light on the pronounced wage gap and prompting debates about gender equality within the industry. One netizen reacted:
"The wage gap is crazy....lol But for men, that's too high"
Many netizens expressed frustration over the supposed inequality, questioning the South Korean industry's valuation of talent based on gender.
"Even if the actress is the main character? I only watch dramas with actresses I like, and I get upset when I think they get paid less than male actors I don't know," a netizen wrote.
"Isn't it inevitable due to the nature of female-oriented dramas? I guess it's because they have to use famous male actors to sell overseas? But even 100 million is already too much. 60 million vs 30 million would be appropriate," another netizen wrote.
"Nambae 100 million times 30 million lol I agree with reducing the excessive appearance fee, but what about the wage gap? It's over 3 times lol What's the reason? We need to change the wrong practice. If we could just reduce that gap, we could have some production costs," another fan added.
More comments read:
"Are you going to openly discriminate in wages like that? That's ridiculous," a fan reacted.
"The wage gap between men and women is really too much. Even though actresses are more popular, they get paid less," another fan wrote.
"No, I can understand the lead actor getting 100 million and the supporting actor getting 30 million, but what is the difference between male and female actors that makes for such a wage gap????" another fan added.
Earnings of South Korean male and female A-List actors like Kim Soo-hyun, Lee Jung-jae, Song Hye-kyo, & more
The South Korean entertainment industry has witnessed a surge in international acclaim. However, a closer examination reveals notable disparities in compensation, influenced by factors such as gender, experience, and market demand.
Top-tier South Korean male actors command substantial fees for their roles in television dramas. For instance, Lee Jung-jae from Squid Game (2021), was compensated about $248,000 per episode for the nine-episode series, totaling approximately $2.2 million.
As per Lifestyle Asia, reports suggest that for the anticipated second season of Squid Game, Lee Jung-jae negotiated a fee of $1 million per episode.
Other prominent South Korean actors, such as Hyun Bin, who starred in Crash Landing on You (2019-2020), command fees upwards of $113,000 per episode. This is a significant increase from his earlier earnings of $27,000 per episode for Secret Garden (2010-2011).
Comparatively, leading South Korean female actors often receive lower compensation compared to their male counterparts. While exact figures can vary, top actresses typically earn between $75,000 to $150,000 per episode.
In October 2024, GQ India reported that The Glory actress, Song Hye-kyo, charged 200 million won (approximately $1,38,612) per episode.
However, The Korea Times reported that Kim Soo-hyun reportedly charged over $3.7 million per episode for Queen of Tears—a 1000% increase from his previous fee of $3,46,610 for It's Okay to Not Be Okay.
In other news, The Glory (2022-2023), Queen of Tears (2024), Squid Game season 2 (2024), and It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2020) are available on Netflix and Viki for global streaming.
